Event Reports

Catalysing Indigenous Languages

United Nations declared 2019 The Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019). This was done “in order to raise awareness, not only to benefit the people who speak these languages, but also to appreciate the important contribution they make to our world’s rich cultural diversity”. Indigenous languages worldwide face the threat of extinction.

Unpacking the Report of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture

Breakfast Discussion with three experts of different backgrounds

“The first land to be confiscated by the Europeans in South Africa was part of what later became known as the Western Cape” (Final Report of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture, p.23). From that genesis, Land Reform is one of the most important topics in South African politics since the 1994 transition to democracy.

Strong Cities 2030 Conference: Overcoming Urban Inequality

Strong Cities 2030 Initiative

"Innovative approaches to overcome urban inequality" was the theme of this year's international Strong Cities 2030 conference, hosted by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in partnership with the City of Johannes-burg, that took place from 13-15 October 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Freedom of Expression versus Hate Speech: Are we Striking a Balance in South Africa?

Roundtable Discussion

On 17 October 2019, the Centre for Unity and Diversity (CUD) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) hosted the third event of the Roundtable Discussion series. At the core of the presentations and the subsequent discussion was the question of where to draw the line be-tween freedom of speech and hate speech. The recent findings of the Courts and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on hate speech rooted the event in current affairs. To dig into the topic of hate speech more thoroughly, legal, psychological and political aspects were addressed.

The African Continental free trade agreement (AfCFTA): An enabler, not a deliverer

SAIIA Speakers Meeting with Prof Faizel Ismail

“…It is not trade and free-trade agreements that raise incomes, but the good-will and solidarity of the participating parties…”

Women and Justice

The Constitution @ Work - Breakfast Discussion Series 2 2019

On 28 August 2019, the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CFCR) held another breakfast discussion as part of its Constitution @ Work series, presented in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS). This breakfast was held in commemoration of South Africa’s Women’s Month, which is celebrated in August annually.

Corporate Diplomacy: What is it and why is it important?

SAIIA Speakers Meeting with Tim Hughes

On September 17th, 2019, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) together with the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Mountain Club of South Africa invited Tim Hughes as a keynote speaker on the subject of corporate diplomacy. During his speech he pointed out how multinational enterprises (MNEs) increasingly influence individual lives and political power.

Annual Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert Honorary Lecture

With Marianne Thamm

To commemorate Dr Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert, the FVZS Institute annually hosts an honorary lecture to honour his ideals and discuss current challenges. On the 19th of August, Marianne Thamm was invited as the keynote speaker on the topic Navigating your way in a world filled with untruths. The event was co-hosted and funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a long-time partner of the Institute.

Social Cohesion: It should start with you and your family

DDP and IJR: Social Cohesion Conference 2019 in Durban and Cape Town

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) together with the Democracy Development Program (DDP) partnering with various civil society organisations such as Diakonia, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Africa Unite and other; held a second annual social cohesion conference in Durban and Cape Town.

Constitutional Court Review 2019

On 29 and 30 August, South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC) hosted the annual seminar for the authors and editors of the Constitutional Court Review Journal. The aim of the seminar is to give authors platform to present their papers to their peers and editors and to get feedback before submitting their final drafts. The journal is an open-source publication which is devoted to analyzing the work of the South African Constitutional Court in the year preceding publication. The seminar was funded by KAS.